Canadian news outlets sue OpenAI over alleged copyright breach

Canada’s leading news organisations have launched a lawsuit against OpenAI, accusing the tech firm of using their content without permission to train its ChatGPT software. The lawsuit, filed in Ontario’s superior court of justice, seeks punitive damages, a share of OpenAI’s profits derived from their content, and an injunction to prevent future use of their articles.

The claimants, The Globe and Mail, the Canadian Press, the CBC, the Toronto Star, Metroland Media, and Postmedia, allege that OpenAI has 'strip-mined' their journalism to build and monetise its generative AI models, causing significant financial harm to the industry. They are demanding up to C$20,000 in damages for each article used, which could lead to compensation amounting to billions of dollars.

According to the statement of claim, the tech firm allegedly scraped large amounts of text from news websites to develop its GPT models, without securing consent or licences. The lawsuit adds to a growing list of legal challenges against the company, which has faced similar accusations from US media outlets, including The New York Times.

OpenAI, valued at over $150 billion, has previously signed licensing agreements with some publishers, such as the Associated Press, NewsCorp, and Condé Nast. However, Canadian news organisations argue that the company’s practices exploit their investments in journalism and undermine the financial sustainability of the industry.

This legal action follows other disputes between Canadian media and American tech giants, including a high-profile standoff with Meta over news content on its platforms. The case underscores ongoing tensions between traditional media and AI firms over the use and monetisation of proprietary content.